Just Keep Moving
by Seiyji-chan
Summary: When life is hard and unforgiving, sometimes all you can do is keep moving forward. Even if you know what lies ahead of you might not be something you wish to deal with. Rated for Violence, Sexual Themes, Language.
1. Chapter 1

Just Keep Moving

Author: Seiyji

Authors Notes: This story is purely fiction and is based on the world of Valdemar. I did this for Fun, so if you have a problem with it then don't read it.

Rating M: For strong language, Sexual Themes, Violence, Ect.

Summary: When life is hard and sometimes all you can do is keep moving forward. Even if you know what lies ahead of you might not be something you wish to deal with.

Chapter 1

Dreams were really all that Calvan had to look forward to. His dreams were not always pretty, and sometimes were rather horrifying, but they were still his. Whenever he was able to dream he was able to escape reality, which was something he thanked the heavens for. His life was not as bad as some, at least he had a roof over his head, but some days he wished he could just escape. Those dreams offered him that, even if it was only for a few candle marks, at least he had those few to help keep him sane, Or as sane as a prostitute could be.

It wasn't his choice of a profession. He was forced to work at the brothel when he was young. First it had just been working as a serving boy in the tavern. It hadn't been that hard of work, just serving food and drinks to those that gave him penny bits. After a few problems with drunkards pulling him into their laps, all but having their way with him in the middle of the room, the tavern master got the idea to make money off of the boy. He gave him a room, but he knew that it wasn't to keep him safe. This room was for business. He was going to be used for the pleasure of who ever paid the right fee to the tavern master. He knew about the girls that had rooms, they were more pampered then some of the other workers, but by night they had to entertain many men in their rooms, and sometimes the men were not very gentle with them. Some of them wound up pregnant, and their children would be raised to work at the tavern. The girls would be trained for the brothel and boys to work the tavern.

The first time he had been with anyone in this room had been horrifying. The man had to hold him down on the bed because he wouldn't stop trying to escape. Even though he cried for help, no one had come to save him. No one had tried to do anything to help him at all, even though he heard people outside of the room. They just walked right by the door, as if he wasn't crying at all.

After his first night he had gotten as used to being man handled as one so young could be. He was only ten when his virginity was striped from him by force. It took him a while to get used to what it was they wanted out of him, with some help from a few of the girls at the brothel he was able to learn how to please a man. It made him want to be sick, but if they were pleased then he wouldn't be beaten or hurt. The girls did pity him and tried to take the brunt of the load off of him, but he still got his fair share of those that did not want a woman to please them.

On average he saw at least two to three men per night, none of them were ever gentle with him, and after a while he got used to the pain. He felt dirty, his body would react to them, even if he didn't want to. That seemed to please the men in a way that he did not understand. Luckily none of them ever stayed long after they used him. Most of them cleaned themselves up and walked out rather satisfied. Calvan usually just drug himself out of bed and cleaned himself up. When he knew he had no one else to entertain he went to sleep and escaped to those dreams.

The sky was black as black and heavy rain was pouring down on the ground. Calvan stood shivering in the middle of the darkness. There was nothing around him except the darkness. He could see his breath rising from his lips. It was so cold in this dark place. It was emotionless and sad. He felt like the darkness was closing in on him and he had to get away from it. He reached out for something, but he did not know what. He almost hoped to grab onto someone to help him out of the darkness.

"Hello?" His timid voice called out, hoping that someone would come to save him from the darkness. As he took a step he fell through the floor. A gasp left his voice as he fell into water. As he surfaced he noticed that he was no longer in the darkness. He was helped to the shore by some unseen force. The place that he had now been taken to was bright and full of life. Birds flew above his head and the sounds of bugs filled the air. A smile broke to the young boys face. It was such a beautiful place, and far less scary then the darkness had been. A horse stood before him. The horse was beautiful. It was tall and slender. Its legs and body looked of that of a runner, but had elegance to them. The horse held its head high, it's long curly, silvery-white mane and tail moved with it as it moved.

The pure white horse trotted up to him and nuzzled against him. He hugged the head close to him. It was as if the creature knew him and was here to greet him. As it trotted across the ground the sounds of bells filled the air. It was such a wonderful sound to hear, and was neither to loud or to high pitched. It was a sound that he could get used to hearing.

The horse snorted and pulled back and looked at him. He looked up at pure blue eyes. They did not look like the eyes of a horse. They looked almost human in some ways. He wondered what that meant. Then without a warning the horse reared up, knocking Calvan down. An arrow embedded into the side of the horse, who screamed in pain. Calvan opened his mouth to scream, but then a pain in his own side caused everything to go black.

Calvan sat up quickly, gasping. He looked around and recognized his room. He sighed and laid back in bed and curled up into a ball. It had been a dream. He wondered what it had meant. He had never dreamed of that horse before. It had almost felt like a long lost friend that he didn't know he was missing. He wondered if he had ever met the horse before. The horse seemed to have some intelligence that he could just not understand. Maybe it was just a warning of something, some hidden danger. He wasn't too good at reading his dreams, but he knew that some of them were almost like warnings. Sometimes his dreams had actually come true, like the time when the cook fell to sleep while baking bread and had almost burnt down the tavern.

A knock came to his door. "Wake up!" The tavern master did not sound happy at all. He never was happy, and if you slept too late he was not going to go easy on you. He had all of the girls go to market together and get supplies. Since Calvan was the only boy he went with the girls to 'protect' them. Although he didn't see what a thirteen year old could do to protect them, but the tavern master seemed to think that he deterred some men from coming to try and take one of the girls away.

Slowly Calvan got out of bed, stretching sore and tight muscles as he prepared for the day. Each room had its own wash station, but you had to heat up your own water if you wanted to get a hot wash. Calvan knew that the master was not happy and he just needed to wash quickly and get down stairs. He poured the cold water from the pitcher into the basin. He didn't take that much time. He did not have to undress, since he had forgotten to put on his sleep clothes before he had fallen to sleep. He washed himself as quickly as he dared to. The cold water sending shivers through his body. His arms and legs had cold bumps on them by the time he was done. Once he was finish washing he through the water out the window, making sure there was no one on the path below.

Calvan walked over to his chest that contained what few pairs of clothes he owned. He had two pairs for when he was supposed to entertain guests, the rest of them were barely more than rags. They were patched so many times that the original garment was lost under all of them. He got changed into a shirt and a pair of long pants. He put on his hand me down boots that the master had given to him after he had gotten a new pair for himself. The boots did not fit him at all. He had to shove several pairs of socks in them in order for them to fit loosely. He tied them up as tight as he could and tossed on a thin jacket that was another hand me down from the master.

The master was waiting down in the kitchen, where all of the Servers and girls met to eat a quick breakfast of leftovers from the night before, and then were given their tasks for the day. "There is a white rider in town today. You are all to keep away from this stranger. He is snooping around at several taverns." The master said as they ate, not wanting to take time since the food would be taken away from them if they were not eating. Calvan was no fool and ate his food just as fast as the others. They had two meals a day. The second one was before the tavern opened for the night, so he made sure to eat all he was given, He even licked the bowl clean. He did not want to leave even a drop behind.

"If the white rider starts to talk to you, get away from him as quickly as you can. I don't care how rude you are to him; just keep out of his way." The master looked at all of the girls, as if thinking they would beg the white rider to save them. Of course a white rider was actually a Herald, but the master dared not call them by that name. After all if he did it might bring down the kingdom on him. Or that was what he feared. Calvan thought it was rather silly. Why would someone want to fear a Herald? Heralds were supposed to be good, and they didn't often come all the way out here. Calvan felt his hopes rise as he wondered if he would be able to see the Herald. He smiled into his bowl.

When they had all finished eating they were shooed off to do their usual chores. The girls, and Calvan, headed out to the market to pick up cheap meat and vegetables that were left over from the days before. The master always got half rotted food. It was cheaper, and as long as it was all cooked together in a thick stew no one would notice. Everything tended to take on the same color when it was put together.

The market place was full of all sorts of people. Calvan was in the back of the pack of girls as they made their way to the places they were supposed to go. They got their usual food stuffs before taking time to wander around the market. They were women after all, and they did like to shop. Sometimes men would give them a few penny bits, which they knew to spend as quickly as possible so the master wouldn't take it away from them. The girls always bought something more to eat, because if they bought anything that they had to sneak back in the house the master would notice. That was the last thing that they wanted. If the master noticed then they would all get into trouble, and if that happened then none of them would be allowed to go to market again.

With little warning the girls started to chatter excitedly. Calvan, who hadn't been paying attention, almost walked into one of them when they stopped in place. Calvan blinked and looked around. He pushed his way through the girls and stopped when he noticed why the girls had stopped walking. He could not stop himself from staring, and then turning pale.

In front of them stood the white rider. He wore all white, sitting on a horse of pure white. The white horse had very blue eyes, and looked like the one he had seen in his dreams, but he looked different. He was a little more bulky then the one he had seen in his dreams, and less silver looking. The horse looked over at him and snorted. It was a much deeper noise then his dream horses.

The Herald looked at the group of girls and smiled. His long black hair was tied back with a black tie. He was the kind of man you would call handsome, or that was what Calvan thought. His dark eyes and hair went well with his tanned skin, and he looked like someone who just came out of a fairy tale.

Calvan felt his heart thump in his chest and remembered they were supposed to stay away from them. Calvan turned tail and ran before he could really think that that would be a bad idea. The girls just stood there and stared at the man. Calvan needed to find a place to go to get away from horse and its rider, or else his master would be angry.

Foot notes: That is it for Chapter One. Who is the Herald? Why is he in the Village? Will Calvan's Master get angry with him?


	2. Chapter 2

Just Keep Moving

Author: Seiyji

Authors Notes: This story is purely fiction and is based on the world of Valdemar. I did this for Fun, so if you have a problem with it then don't read it.

Rating M: For strong language, Sexual Themes, Violence, Ect.

Summery: When life is hard and unforgiving, sometimes all you can do is keep moving forward. Even if you know what lies ahead of you might not be something you wish to deal with.

Chapter 2

Calvan's heart pounded in his chest as he stood near the back door to the tavern. He felt bad for leaving the girls alone in the village, but he had been told to stay away from the white rider. He did not understand why the white rider was here in their town. They rarely ever came to the Jasper Groves. Usually they only came once or twice a year. At those times most of the people in the village hid daughters and other children from the white riders afraid they might try and take them away to become just like them. That was the worst fears of most people in the village, although Calvan would not mind being taken away from this place.

His mother had been a prostitute at the Tavern. That was how he had come to work there to begin with. She had died in child birth and he had never figured out who his father was. Although the tavern master did say that it had been someone from out of town and he had tried to take his mother with him when he had found out she was pregnant, but the Tavern master would not let her go, so she had declined the man's offer.

Calvan never really wondered who his father was. It was never really important. After all he had to help at the tavern, and then entertain guests at night. He really did not have the time to sit and wonder what life would bring, or who certain people were. If he had that much time he would have gotten boxed in the ear for not working to get the tavern cleaned up for guests at night.

After his breath slowed, Calvan looked up at the sky. He knew he should go back to find the girls, but he did not want to go back to where the white rider was. Luckily he didn't have to go back to find them, the girls wandered up to the door chatting to themselves. Most of them completely ignored Calvan as they went inside with the food. Making sure he was last to go inside, Calvan shut the door behind him. At least the white rider had not gotten it in his head to follow them back.

:That boy was acting rather peculiar_._: The boy that had run away earlier in the day still was stuck in his mind. The group of girls he was with had stayed around for a while longer then the boy. He wondered what it was that had spooked the boy so much that he ran at the site of a Herald and his companion. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Farnel made his way through the streets. It was starting to get dark out and he would soon need to find a place to stay for the night. He was too far from a way station to head out to it. He would have much preferred to go there then find an Inn in this town, but he had little choice.

_:There are not any children out at all, Maybe they are afraid I will eat them.: _Although it was meant as a joke the companion was rather worried. It wasn't right for people to hide from them. They were not here to hurt anyone. Why would they want to hide away? Or maybe they were hiding something from them; it just felt wrong that children were not out helping parents, or playing in the streets. The Adults were not rude to the two of them, but they always seemed to be forcing smiles, as if they were hiding some dark secret.

:Maybe we should stay here for a while and figure out what it is that they are hiding. I don't like this feeling I am getting.:

:_Neither do I._:

The Herald and companion stopped just outside of a Tavern. It had gotten late and he needed to go someplace to eat, and what better place to hear gossip then at a Tavern. He took Farnel to the stables and made sure he was put in a loose box near the back of the stables. He wanted to make sure some silly stable hand didn't try and put the companion in one of the normal stalls. He would hate for Farnel to break down one of the doors in order to get to him.

:_Be careful Randel.:_

:I am always careful.: The Companion snorted and tossed his head. :That one time was an accident!: Randel swatted at the companion in a playful manner before he turned and headed into the tavern. Everything stopped as soon as he walked into the tavern. People stood and stared at him unsure of what to do, or if they should continue to eat. The Herald ignored the stares and walked to the bar and sat down in front of the bar tender. He pulled out a copper and placed it on the table. "I'd like your special and a mug of Ale."

After he spoke the whole room burst back into life. The people seemed to worry that he was here to take one of them away. Now that he was sitting and eating it didn't seem as if he was in the mood to haul any of them off to the goal.

_I hope that white rider isn't going to be snooping about. I don't need him finding out about the girls here. That is the last thing I need at the moment._

_If that white rider snoops, he be findin' them girls, then all the fun will be gone._

_That white rider better keep to himself if he knows what's good for 'im. We dun bother no one here._

The different thoughts drifted to him. Most of the ones here were about some 'girls.' If they were talking about what he thought they were that meant that this was a brothel with a tavern for its facing. If that was true he wondered if the girls were here by choice. He would have to check this out. Maybe he could get one of the girls alone and talk to her. That would be easier said than done. He was a white rider, and it wouldn't be easy to get one alone without people finding out about them.

:_I think I have our Solution. Come to the Stables when you're done eating, if you can even stomach that 'food.':_

Wondering what his companion had found out, Ran quickly ate his food, he didn't want to taste it if he could help it. It wasn't something he would usually try to stomach, and luckily he was able to wash it down with slightly better tasting ale, but it wasn't that much better.

Calvan sighed as he went out to the stables. He wanted to get away for a little while. He had snuck a bowl of food from the pot in the kitchen when the cook was busy. Luckily she had not seen him or else he would have gotten the beating of a life time. He didn't pay for hot food, and wouldn't be allowed to have any 'freshly' cooked food. The workers were only ever fed leftovers from the nights before. A soft sigh left the boys lips as he found a loose box to sit in. He found a bale of hay to sit down and began to quickly eat his snitched food.

The longer he hid, the more likely he would be able to get out of doing anything that night. He didn't want to be used tonight. A snorting caught his attention. He looked over at the loose box across from him. He stood up and put his bowl down and walked over. Maybe one of the horses had gotten loose. He looked into the stall. It was the white rider's horse. He couldn't stop himself from staring at him. He was a beautiful stallion. He wondered why he was in the loose box. What if he got loose?

He bit his lip and looked at the companion. There was something different about him then the other horses. He seemed almost smart, like he knew what he was doing. The stallion stayed perfectly still and looked carefully at Calvan with those all knowing eyes. It felt like the horse was judging him. But how could a horse judge you? That didn't make any sense to him. After all horses were just animals, how could one judge you? Or maybe it was just his lack of knowledge on the subject. He had never really been able to be close to any animals. After all he might get it into his head to run off if he had a horse or knew how to rid one.

Calvan was so lost in thoughts that he almost didn't hear the stable doors open. Without thinking twice he quickly went into the loose box and hid from who ever had come into the stall. "Where is t'e brat." The drunk man wandered about the stalls looking about for someone. "I pay'd good for 'im, and I want 'im." The man seemed angry and was talking to himself. The man wandered into the back and saw the bowl in the open box and smirked. "Ah, so yeh be snitchin' food, so you has to be in here some place."

The drunken man stumbled around looking for the box. He walked over to the box with horse in it, but stopped short when the stallion snorted and reared up, kicking his front hooves. The drunken man stumbled back away from the stallion. "He aint in th're. That breast is insane." The man mumbled and quickly stumbled out of the stables.

Calvan peered out of the bales he had been hiding behind. He looked up at the white rider's horse and smiled. "Thank you, you saved me." He stood up, but did not go close to the horse. He was too nervous. The horse had almost attacked the man that had been searching for him, what was stopping him from attacking him?

"He won't hurt you."

Calvan was startled by the voice and turned to see the white rider. His face turned pale white as he backed away from the rider. This was not good. He was told to keep away from the white rider. "Oh, please be calm. I am not going to take you away and I won't hurt you."

The white rider moved over to stand next to his companion; it gave Calvan his chance to get out of the situation before his master found out.

" 'M not allow'd to be seed with you." He mumbled. He did not want to get into trouble because he was near the Herald._ Master won't be happy if the White rider takes me away..If I am not entertaining guests..I am not of any worth to him. _He thought to himself as he quickly left the loose box and grabbed his bowl. He quickly turned and left the stable, heading back to the inn to hide his bowl and get to his room before he was missed.

"So that it. This is a Brothel." Randel stood next to Farnel. "That boy must be one of the workers." He looked saddened at the thought. He wanted to be able to help the boy, but he didn't seem to want his help. "There has to be something we can do."

Farnel snorted and bobbed his head. :_All we can do is wait._:

"You know how much I hate to wait."

:_Yes, but if we try and hurry and get answers out of him the less he is likely to trust us._:

Randel sighed. He knew that his companion was right. There was no way they could just try to trap the boy and have him open up to them. He would have to wait until he was ready to tell them what he knew, if he was ever ready.

Foot notes: Thank you for reading Chapter 2! There are still many questions that need to be answered, and some of them will be answered in Chapter 3! Please check back soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Just Keep Moving

Author: Seiyji

Authors Notes: This story is purely fiction and is based on the world of Valdemar. I did this for Fun, so if you have a problem with it then don't read it.

Rating M: For strong language, Sexual Themes, Violence, Ect.

Summary: When life is hard and unforgiving, sometimes all you can do is keep moving forward. Even if you know what lies ahead of you might not be something you wish to deal with.

Chapter 3

Heart thumping in his throat, Calvan leaned against the back wall of the tavern just near the door for the kitchen. He had not really thought too much about what had happened until he was able to rest. Why was that man in the stables? Was it true that those creatures had a connection with their riders? If that was true then the horse must have told him all of the things he had said! His eyes widened slightly at the thought. It wasn't like he had said anything bad, but still. What if he told him about the man that was looking for him? Would he get some idea to get justice for him? And if he tried to do that and the Tavern owner found out he would surely be thrown out into the street!

His mind was so full of those ideas that he did not even notice that he was being watched from close by. It didn't really seem important to keep his guard up. After all he was right outside of the kitchen door. No one would try anything when the cooks could easily hear what was going on, and if the Tavern master lost business they all would suffer later on. That was something that growing up in the tavern had taught him. If someone was raped outside, or was giving freebies outside everyone would get in trouble for not stopping them. Even if it wasn't anyone's fault they all got punished. Usually it was no food for the day and a painful beating for the one that had broken the rules while everyone else watched.

Calvan shivered at the idea. That was the last thing he wanted to go through. Several girls had been beaten and going a day without food was horrible. He remembered that feeling like it was yesterday. He rubbed his stomach as it growled at the thought of food. How he wished he could just sneak into the kitchen and eat something. That was probably the only good thing about being a cook; you could snack on what you were cooking all day, and be able to drink as much clean water as you wanted! He wished that somehow he could have been a cook, but fate did not carry that out for him.

Brushing his hand through his messy hair calvan sighed, his eyes drifted up to the sky. It was already starting to become starry out. A small smile appeared on his lips. He loved the lights in the sky. They were so interesting. He wondered what made those balls of light. Were they bugs that just got caught up in the sky? He wasn't sure, but he did know he liked them, but he rarely got to be outside at night. The thought that he should be inside never occurred to him. He didn't feel like going inside. He didn't want to be used tonight. Was that so wrong? One day of rest?

The boy was so deep in thought that he did not notice that the one watching him was getting closer and didn't look at all happy. With no warning Calvan found himself being grabbed by the hair and pushed harshly against the wall, with his back to the assailant. "Th're you are." The man's voice was harsh and full of anger. Calvan was about to let out a cry for help when he found a dagger at his throat. "You scream boy and I will just have to kill you here." The man smirked. "Now since I paid fur you. I um goin' to get my monies worth out of you."

It dawned on the boy just who it was after only a few moments. The creature that was attacking him was the man that had been looking for him in the stable. He had not thought that the man would actually still be around after having failed in finding him in the stables. After the white horse had scared him off he thought that the man had actually left, but obviously he was wrong.

He felt an icy chill run down his back. This was not going to end good for him. He hoped that one of the cooks heard the commotion inside and would come and save him from this fate. Of course that was only if they heard the man. If he made even the slightest sound the man was sure to slit his throat, and there was no one there to save him at the moment.

The man began to remove his clothing from his lower half. He had expected him to do as much, He just hoped that the man would pass out drunk before things were taken to far. He felt tears start to roll down his cheeks. This was the very last thing that he wanted. He did not want to be forced here, in the dark, from a man that was very drunk.

He shivered as the man's hands ran over his body. They were cold, calloused, and very rough. The man didn't seem to care as he groped the young man. All the man cared about was getting what he wanted from the boy. After that he would, hopefully, leave him alone to clean up after himself.

Calvan tried his best not to make a noise. The man still had his knife very close to his neck. He did not want to make any sudden movements; he did not want the man to think he was trying to escape. That would be the very worst thing to do, but as the man's hands traveled to his middle he felt a hard squeeze. He yelped and tried to pull back before he could get himself to stop. The man growled angrily and slicked deeply into his shoulder. Calvan bit down on his lip so hard it started to bleed. If he screamed the man was going to do something far worse than cut him. "Move again you bitch, and I swear I will cut you from your neck down to your crotch!"

Calvan believed every word he said. He didn't doubt that the man could and would very well kill him if he didn't obey. The man groped the boy some more. He seemed to be getting pleasure from the way the boy's body reacted under his hands. With no warning it all stopped. Calvan was almost relieved. Maybe he would stop now. Maybe he could get away. Maybe-

His thoughts were cut short as the man spread his legs and dropped his own pants to his ankles. He felt the man's hardness against his secret place. With no preparation or care for what it would do to Calvan, the man thrust in hard. It was so painful that he had to bite down on his already battered lip to keep him from crying out in pain. The man didn't seem to care at all as he started to move moved. It was only his enjoyment that he cared about, not if he was hurting the whore that he was using. Calvan could taste blood in his mouth. He was sure that he would get a beating later for having wounds on him. He felt warm blood travel down his shoulder, and his legs from the wounds there. He was not going to be able to move when this was over. That was he sure of. Tears ran freely down his face that was contorted in pain as he clutched the wall as best as he could. He couldn't even get into that place that he would always disappear to. The pain was too much.

It felt as if a century had gone by before he felt the man fill him. The man finished deep inside of him before he pulled from the boy. A mixture of red and white trickled down his trembling legs.

"Now there's a good whore." The man laughed as the boy slowly slid down the wall, sobbing into it. His body felt like it was on fire. He felt worse than when his virginity had been stripped from him. At least that man had prepared him. This man hadn't cared if he damaged goods or not. All that the drunk cared about was getting what he wanted.

"Should get you again tomorrow." He laughed as he straightened his clothes. "Or maybe I should find a way to keep you all for myself." The man looked as if he got an idea. He could steal the boy and not have to pay for him ever again! The idea pleased him very much. Calvan turned to look at the man as he reached out for him.

An Equine shriek stopped the man in place. The man turned and found himself staring at a very angry white mare. Her eyes were full of anger and hatred. Her ears pinned flat against her head. Her body was tense and she looked as if she was ready to charge at the man. The man shrunk back away from the horse, towards the boy, but that was the wrong move. Like a mother protecting a child, She charged at the man, who cried out as he was shoved hard against the wall. The man was stunned and tried to move away from the wall, but the horse kept slamming him back against it. Again and Again the man tried, but to no avail. In an attempt to get away from the angry beast the man struck out at the horse, but that only infuriated her more. She bit the man on the shoulder harshly. She would not kill this man. He was below her, but he had harmed Calvan and that wouldn't be forgiven.

The man's face was pale as he struggled to get away from the horse. Calvan tried to get up and away from what was going on. He did not want to be killed because the mare suddenly decided it was time for him to pay for whatever had happened. The mare turned to look over at the boy as he tried to stand, but fell back down. She made towards him, but turned as the man tried to make his getaway. She was not going to let that happen. As he turned to run she kicked out hard and made contact with his back, causing him to fly forward into a muck pile. She snorted and pranced in place. That would serve him right! He was a vial filthy creature, he might as well look and smell the part.

In shock the man pulled himself from the muck. He was covered head to toe in manure and other waste. He quickly brushed himself off, but noticed the horse was still watching him. He gave a shriek and ran into the building, yelling about a rabid mare that tried to kill him in the back alley.

Calvan tensed, feeling that the horse might turn and charge him at any minute. He tried his best to make himself as small a target as possible. It was hard with all of his injuries, but it was better to be alive and hurting then trampled to death. When nothing happened he looked up to see what had happened. Had the horse left after taking care of the man? He spotted the horse and stared at her. At first he thought that she was the white rider's horse, but she was different from the other. She was tall and graceful looking with a curly mane and tail. She looked like the one from his dreams, but that couldn't be possible. Dreams were not real. He would have almost thought he was in a dream if it hadn't been for all of the pain.

Then he looked into those blue eyes. They were so deep blue and beautiful that he found himself falling into him. It was a weird sensation, like nothing he had ever felt before. Despite the pain he was in he felt the love that poured him. Was it from the horse? How could that be.? :_Chosen. I am sorry I wasn't earlier. I could have saved you from being hurt, but I was not fast enough. Can you forgive me_?:

"A..Ah...Of course I can.." He was stunned. He wasn't really sure how she was doing it, but she was talking to him in his head. His cheeks turned a pale pink as he remembered he was half naked. He quickly as his injuries would allow he put on his clothes. He tried to straighten himself up, but that was nearly impossible. As he stood up he stumbled forward. He expected to fall to the ground, but the mare had gotten in the way and gave him something to cling onto. He buried his head into her shoulder and cried. All of his pain, all of his worries just seemed to pour out of him. . It had been worse than anything he had ever felt before. His body felt so weak. :_Oh...Chosen..Calvan..I am sorry._:

"I..It's not your fault.." He whispered into her shoulder, vaguely wondering how she had known what his name was when he hadn't told it to her..Then again...why was he talking to a horse? Was he dying? Or maybe he was just going insane and hearing things.

:_If you were going insane I wouldn't have chosen you. I am a Companion, not a horse._: She seemed a little annoyed for some reason, but Calvan knew it wasn't fault of his own that annoyed her. It was a nice feeling knowing that for once he wasn't the cause of some great annoyance.

:_Oh! How terribly rude of me, my name is Arietta. I promise that I will never let those bad things happen to you again. I will help you to understand, but it will take some time._: Slowly memories started to pour into his mind. Only a few things. She did not want to overwhelm the boy. After she was done he understood what happened to him. He had been chosen, and she was a companion, and he was going to be a Herald, like the white rider he had met. As if she heard his thoughts she spoke to him. :_They are coming, do not be alarmed. They will not hurt you._:

"How do you know-" He was cut off as he heard hooves and boots rushing in their direction. Just as she had forewarned the Herald and his Companion came from the stable, looking alarmed. The Herald had his sword at the ready, Looking around for the culprit. He saw that man was nowhere to be seen. His eyes fell upon the mare, causing him to freeze in place for a moment. His eyes unfocused for just as long before they went back to normal. Calvan wasn't sure what had happened to him. He had almost feared he was having a brain storm or something. He had never actually seen one, but he had heard stories. The white rider nodded and then smiled. "You see. I knew there was something special about the boy." He smiled kindly. The horse next to the white rider tossed its head as if to agree.

Calvan peeked out from behind Arietta to look at the Herald and his Companion. His arms were still around her neck. He did not want to leave her but he was starting to feel light headed. That was when the Herald noticed the blood on his shoulder and the puddle on the ground. With speed, that startled the boy, the Herald was by his side looking at the wounds. "Boy, I know you're not going to like this, but you have to see a Healer. You look pale, please do not be alarmed I won't do anything to hurt you."

Calvan was not sure he should trust this man, but Arietta seemed to think he was alright. Maybe it was because he had a white horse too? :_I am not a Horse. I am a companion you silly boy._: Companion than. It seemed to be the logical explanation.

Without any more warning he found himself picked up, making a small squeak leave his throat. He had not thought that the man would pick him up, but he had. The Herald began carrying him off to an unknown location. Calvan struggled at first, but then an outpouring of love filled him and he knew Arietta wanted him to go with the Herald. She promised he could not hurt him and nothing bad was going to happen to him at the Healers. His own skeptical mind was telling him otherwise, but in his heart he knew he had to trust Arietta. She wouldn't lie to him, and she loved him. She loved him. That was something that he had never expected to feel. It was so intense that he almost wanted to cry. He had never before been loved by anyone, but now this being that didn't even know him more than a candle mark loved him.

She kept telling him about how once he was healed they would all go to Haven together, and after that he wouldn't have to worry about sleeping with others day in and day out. He would be a trainee, and have a room of his own that was his own, not a room that he used for customers. He would be able to eat when he wanted, and sleep peacefully at night. He could ride her when he felt like, and would be able to learn, for the first time in his life, how to read and figure.

The thought of that made him relax. He knew it was the truth. After all she wouldn't lie to him. The thought followed him as he slipped into darkness.

Calvan woke up to birds singing outside of the window. He did not want to open his eyes. It sounded so peaceful. He was afraid that he would wake up and he would be back in his room. He was afraid that it had all just been one of his dreams. A dream that had a happy ending.

His stomach growled reminding him that he was hungry. Slowly his eyes opened. He needed to get up or the tavern master would be angry with him for wasting precious time. He was startled when he realized he was not in his room. He sat up quickly as his body would allow him. His mind was in a panic. He had no idea where he was or why he was there. Did that man take him back to his home after all? What if it was worse, what if the man had told his master he had been outside and bought him and was going to use him every night like that? His mind was sent into full panic mode. He wanted to run and get out of this place as soon as possible.

Then came a wave of love and comfort that reminded him that he was safe. The white rider...No, The Herald had taken him to the healers after he had been raped. Arietta had protected him from the evil man. He stood up on shaky legs and walked over to the window and looked out. Standing right under his window was Arietta. She tossed her head slightly and pranced about when she noticed that Calvan was watching her. A soft smile left his lips. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her whole body seemed to glow in the early morning light.

He was about to go out to her, but the door to his room opened. Randel and a woman in green came into the room. Calvan tensed up, but Arietta was there to comfort and soothe him. It was something that he was starting to get used to. He had only to reach for her and she was there in his mind to comfort and protect him. It was a nice feeling.

"Don't be afraid, Calvan. We are not going to harm you." The Herald started, but was cut off by a rather short pudgy woman. She went over to Calvan and pushed him back to the bed. He was too startled to do more then make a little noise of protest. He was almost afraid she was going to attack him, but he relaxed a little as Arietta prompted him to do as he was told.

"You need to rest dear." Calvan found himself back in bed and tucked in place. She motioned for the Herald, who put a tray across Calvan's lap. Calvan looked down at the tray. It had a bowl of warm porridge with fruit and currents, slices of fruit off to the side and a glass of juice of some sort. Next to it all was an icky looking green potion in a mug. "Drink the mug first and then eat. It will help you heal faster so you can be on your way." She smiled kindly. Calvan could only listen to what he was told to do. It would be better to listen, he knew that he wouldn't be given anything that was meant to poison him. Arietta would warn him if the person couldn't be trusted.

He drank down the mug, that didn't taste as bad as he had first feared. It had a strong taste to it and made him feel almost dizzy, but he knew he had better eat his food before he drifted to sleep again.

It was such a filling breakfast. He had seen most of these things in the market, but had never been able to try them. He carefully took a small bite of the porridge. A soft smile appeared on his face. He had never tasted anything this good in his entire life. It was different from the muck that he was given for breakfast and lunch. It tasted sweet, without being too overwhelming. He could eat this all day and be happy, but to his dismay after he had finished all of the food on his tray he couldn't eat any more. His eyes were much bigger than his stomach it seemed. He had taken as much time as he dared, not wanting the food to be taken away from him because he wasn't eating fast enough.

"We will only be staying long enough for you to rest and heal, after that I will personally escort you to the Collegium." Randel knew it was more important to make sure the boy was able to get there with no problems. He was worried about the shoulder wound, along with his other wounds. He did not want him to have to go on a long trek back to haven in pain. He would take care of him until he was safely in the Dean's capable hands. Only then would he truly feel that the boy was safe and out of harm's way.

Calvan only nodded, starting to feel a little groggy as the medicine he had drank started to take effect. It didn't take him long to drift off to sleep into a deep sleep. He had no idea what would be coming, or where they were going, only small tidbits that were given to him by the memories that were shared with him. It was nice knowing that he would be safe until he was able to heal, but he still worried. With Arietta's constant reassurance he was able to relax and have peaceful dreams as he fell to sleep, blissfully ignorant of everything around him.

Foot notes: Poor Calvan. Will he be ready to leave soon? What about the Tavern Master and that man? You will have to come back and check out what happens to Calvan and Arietta!


End file.
